JACKSONVILLE, Fla — Is there a device that exists that could keep boaters safe in an accident?
We have seen many comments on Facebook about EPIRBs. It stands for Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon. Many of you asked if this type of device is a requirement for boaters.
For our sources, we talked to Captain Jack Feeney at the Jacksonville SeaSchool, looked at how EPIRB’s work on Boat U.S. Foundation’s website, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the U.S. Coast Guard's requirements for recreational boats.
An EPIRB is meant to help rescuers locate you in an emergency. We don’t know if the missing firefighters’ boat had this device onboard.
“If you’re offshore and you end up in a situation where you need help, you can trigger the EPIRB and it will send a message to the satellites above and it will include your position," said Captain Jack Feeney, is an instructor at SeaSchool in Jacksonville. "The name of your boat and your name and even your phone number is all available to the Coast Guard."
There is also an automatic version with a release mechanism that allows the beacon to release from its bracket, float to the surface and start transmitting, Feeney said. The beacon, along with the bracket, must sink to approximately 3 meters before it will activate automatically.
Feeney says that even though these devices are not required for smaller boats, such as the 23-foot Robalo Center Console that is missing, we might forget that our cell phones don’t work that far out to sea.
“So at some point if you’re out beyond 30, 40 miles you have no way to communicate if your boats starts going down or you lose somebody or there’s a heart attack on the boat or some reason you need help," he said. "You need to have some way to communicate when you’re further than cell range."
The only things required for boats under 26 feet are appropriately sized life vests for everyone and visual distress equipment such as flares, flags, lights and whistles.
So we have verified that EPIRBs are not required for recreational boats.
If you have something to verify, send an email to verify@firstcoastnews.com.